Deane crowned 2024 Formula DRIFT PRO Champion for record fourth time and wins final round

By pulling up to the starting line for his Top 32 competition heat, James Deane scored enough points to claim the 2024 Formula DRIFT PRO Championship title.

Deane is the first driver to win four titles, pulling ahead of fellow three-time FD PRO Champions Chris Forsberg (USA) and Fredric Aasbo (Norway). Deane was the only Champion to score three in a row in 2017, 2018 and 2019.

“I can’t believe we’ve got to this point in only our second season with the car,” an emotional Deane told us. “Practice was the most intense ever because there was so much to lose. I was afraid something could go wrong but relieved to get through it and be ready to enjoy this moment… As a 15-year-old kid, I could never have imagined being here!”

With the Championship pressure removed, Deane went on to win Round 8. The four-time Champion won four Rounds in 2024, marking one of the most dominant performances in Formula DRIFT history.

Deane and the RTR Motorsports team had to overcome a pre-season engine fire, which caused considerable damage a few days before the Opening Round in Long Beach. However, they rallied, and Deane won the opening round. “After that, anything seemed possible,” he reflected.

12 months ago, Deane broke his collarbone during practice for the 2023 Irwindale Round. Despite the injury, he qualified sixth, finished third and placed fifth in the Championship as he came to terms with his powerful, new RTR Mustang.

The 2023 Championship was won by Chelsea DeNofa (USA) for RTR Motorsports, giving the team back-to-back titles.

Aurimas “Odi” Bakchis fought hard to claim his first FD PRO Championship. However, he also suffered a severe fire during Round 2 in Atlanta, followed by engine failure, which compromised his mid-season form.

Bakchis secured second place in the Championship in his Top 16 heat today but was robbed of an Irwindale podium after the team was unable to repair the Feal Suspension / GT Radial Nissan S15 following a heavy collision with Ryan Tuerck (USA) in the Top 8 heats. With both drivers unable to complete repairs in the allotted time, Bakchis won the heat but could advance no further.

Bakchis finished the night in fourth and placed second overall, 104 points behind Deane and 42 ahead of Aasbo.

Following his Round 2 win, it initially appeared Aasbo could become the first four-time FD PRO Champion. However, an inconsistent season put him out of title contention. He finished second on the night, securing third in the 2024 PRO Championship, 72 points ahead of teenager Minoya.

Conor Shanahan finished third at Irwindale, bumping him from 11th to eighth overall. Despite his Rookie status, the Irishman is the reigning European Drift Masters Champion, and a Round 3 win in Orlando hinted at his potential. However, his season didn’t fully come together. He was driving a borrowed BMW for Irwindale: “I couldn’t tell you what engine is in it,” he laughed. “But I’ll be back next year to ensure James doesn’t win a fifth title!”

The 2024 Formula DRIFT Rookie of the Year was secured by the remarkable Hiroya Minowa (Japan), who drove the Enjuku Racing / Cusco / Yellowspeed Racing Toyota GT86 with excellent maturity considering he recently turned 15. He finished 11th in the Final Round and placed fourth overall, which was an incredible achievement.

LZ was the highest-placed US driver in the 2024 FD PRO Championship. This was despite not intending to complete the entire season and having his competition car destroyed by a heavy impact during Round 5 in St Louis. After initially forecasting his retirement from the season, a replacement bodyshell materialized, and the team had LZ back on the grid for Round 6.

Toyota has won the 2024 Formula DRIFT Auto Cup, largely thanks to Aasbo and Tuerck.

Nitto claimed the 2024 FD Tire Cup, partly attributed to Deane and Aasbo successfully campaigning for its tires.